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I am increasingly becoming frustrated by the lack of ethics involved with some of the people in our hobby. Recently, I found an ad here at the asylum for a product with a similar application to one I designed. This individual/business essentially “cut and paste” the product description and highlights from my website and incorporated it into his website and his advertising for his version of this product. Punctuation and capitalization of certain phrases were identical, with virtually no attempt made to individualize the text for his own. To makes things worse, features that aren’t even possible with his product were being advertised based on my text.On Monday I sent sending this person an e-mail expressing my disgust, and warned him to cease using the copyrighted text from my site, I received no response and saw no change in his website or ad. I sent another e-mail as a courtesy this afternoon essentially giving him until Monday to do the right thing.
That’s the way it was going to stay until Monday. However, I went to his site tonight and viewed his “renewed” ad at the asylum. Changes were indeed made, but they were superficial in nature and there are still “word for word” descriptions I created to describe my product.
Although I highly doubt this has done anything to curtail the sales of my product, it goes against my grain to “let this go” as a matter of principle. I'm tired of this B.S. and am not going to put up with it any more. I hope this individual sees the light and decides to operate a clean business based on his own ideas and merit.
My frustration is obvious, and I’m becoming increasingly disappointed at some of the business ethics I’m encountering in our hobby. I wish this was an isolated instance, but it is not.
I am giving this company/individual one final chance to clean-up before I identify them for all...
Best,
Follow Ups:
"Ethics" and "cable industry"?
I asked the same question and -- presto! -- it was deleted. Remember: thou shalt not dis the cable vendors, as long as they advertise on AA.
If you'd rather attack the cable industry than condemn an obvious wrongdoing, then go for it...BTW, the ads at the asylum are free, and I am not an Asylum sponsor, due to my very tight ad budget. Also, what other industry allows you to take the product home for 60 days and return it if you don't like?
Okay, I will. The cable industry has a well-earned reputation for selling the audio equivalent of Oral Roberts' infamous handprint-on-a-hankerchief arthritis cure. Why the AA powers-that-be seek to shield that industry from critique is unknown to me or to others, since they will not deign to explain.
Why wait? As soon as you discovered the theft, you should report it. Let us know so that his sales drop quickly.
I just realized he didn't change any of the text from his renewed Audio Asylum ad, after I sent him two notices (delivery confirmation was received). You're right, the gloves are off. The audiophile community need to know who these people are. I wanted to give him the opportunity to make things right, and he blew it:Donald Uptegraff of Hidefaudio
Here's his ad:
http://java.audioasylum.com/ca/ca.jtp?ca=4050
Note that I call my product "The Hot Box", and he calls his "The Metal Box".
Mine- * Star wiring to each receptacle. (The receptacles aren't "daisy-chained" together).
His- * Star wiring to each receptacle. (The receptacles aren't "daisy-chained" together).
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Mine- * A modified Flavor 4 cord connected to the outlet box. Two separate 10 AWG Teflon/Bare copper ground wires are spaced from each other as they spiral around the outside of the cable, counter to the twist of the internal conductors.
His- * A modified 4 conductor 10 guage cord connected to the outlet box. Two separate 10 AWG copper ground wires are inside the the cable, counter to the twist of the internal conductors.
(What's curious about this is that it would be physically impossible with 4 conductor SJOOW cable to have separate grounds AND star wire the outlets. Also, the "counter to the twist" reference in his ad makes no sense.)
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Mine- * The cryoe'd outlets are electrically isolated from the metal box. One of the ground wires is connected to the outlets' grounds (in a star wire fashion), and the other ground is connected to the box. Most manufacturers "float" the metal box or they ground the outlet to the box. Steel has excellent permeability of magnetic fields- so it is a good thing to have steel for box construction. By connecting a ground to the box, it also drains away RF, and makes for a much SAFER box.
His- RFI suppression is accomplised with a "one way" or "unidirectional" cables. This is known as a telescoping or telescopic ground. One of the ground wires is connected to the outlets' grounds (in a star wire fashion), and the other ground is connected to the box and telescoped to the audio equipment(with no connection there). Most manufacturers "float" the metal box or they ground the outlet to the box. Steel has excellent permeability of magnetic fields- so it is a good thing to have steel for box construction. By connecting a ground to the box, it also drains away RF, and makes for a much SAFER box.
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Mine- * All internal wiring is SPACED AWAY from the box itself, in order to keep the interactions of the conductors with metal box to a minimum.
His- * All internal wiring is SPACED AWAY from the box itself, in order to keep the interactions of the conductors with metal box to a minimum.
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Mine- * The Hot Box contains NO field-generating LED's, poor switches, or IEC inlets. Just raw power delivered to your components without adding any grunge...His- * The Metal Box contains NO LED's, power switches, or IEC inlets. Just raw conductive metals to deliver power to your components.
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Infringement and intellectual rights are really important. I agree with Chris here that outright plagiaism is low, very low on the ethics scale.Beyond that though, is the obvious care and research that Chris puts into his products. One may find Chris' products work for them or not, but it is quite obvious to me that he puts a LOT of effort into getting things right before he offers them for sale, and trys his best to describe the benefits of his designs.
I would be rippin' mad if someone just stole my copy and attached it to a product of obvious inferior quality.
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